87. Mr. Baldwinasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that out of 156,000 tons of maize afloat from the Argentine only 8,000 tons are destined for Great Britain; and whether he proposes to take any steps to see that farmers in this country are enabled to obtain a more just proportion.
§ Mr. StracheyI have no figures confirming the statement of the hon. Member, as the quantity of grain afloat varies from day to day. Shipments of Argentine maize to the United Kingdom during the last month or two have been comparatively small, as the bulk of our purchases from the 1945 crop were shipped late in 1945 and early in 1946. We now hold further large purchases of maize in Argentine and Brazil and hope to ship substantial quantities to the United Kingdom for human consumption, essential industrial purposes and as feed for special cases—young animals and milk production. The latter will only be possible if the maize is not required for human consumption, as the C.F.B. in January last adopted a resolution that coarse grains should be devoted to the maximum extent for human consumption, during the present wheat shortage, instead of being used as animal feed